“Mentoring with John seemed like the next step in my color pencil exploration because of his knowledge of the medium and his positive attitude.
He has given me a path toward better art and I think his input will make me a better artist.

I would recommend this service to anyone who is interested in color pencil and in becoming a better artisit. John will hold you accountable to your goals.
”

“ My second mentoring session explains why I value John’s advice about my work. I’m drawing a piece with multiple figures in it and John pointed out the three dimensional aspect of the heads to help me find the correct proportions. Most instructors focus on the flat measurements of one feature in relation to the other. But John drew the 3 dimensional overlapping shapes to help me find how the features are placed with one head next to the other. He gave me a totally different way to look at the puzzle that I was trying to solve. The deep knowledge of portraiture that John shares is amazing. ”

“Pam Gates here, I’m an artist been doing colored pencil for awhile, but not until John’ s classes and mentoring did I really begin to understand how much I love this medium. His teaching methods feel so one on one . It’s amazing what I’ve learned and how to apply it all into my own work. Blending layering color values, very sharp point great paper choices. ”

“John presents a very calm demeanor and one knows immediately that it is going to be okay. Our artist journeys have followed similar paths, and I felt he understood me, where I am, and could recommend what steps I needed to take. He did not come across as pushy or insistent. He was very encouraging, respectful, positive, and supportive.
He gave me his full attention and took time before our meeting to learn about me and my artwork. He took an interest in me as a person and an artist. He was very open in sharing his experiences and providing insight that was specific to me.”

“The addition of the individual mentoring calls allows the opportunity for John to focus on individual needs.

I appreciate that John is comfortable being honest with us, yet he does it in the most gentle, delicate way. This will allow for our own individual growth. ”

“Hi John, It’s me, Jane Parker. I am so glad I found your mentoring service. Right now, the biggest comeback from our session is your encouragement of me on my art journey. I am really looking forward to working with you in the future and pushing past the inner resistance I have about pursuing a business in art.

I have not had any other one one-on-one coaching to compare this experience to. Still, it is definitely a step up from the group academy experience with hundreds of other artists. Those have been beneficial as well, but the affordability of your one one-on-one coaching is a plus.

Thanks so much,
Jane”

“I’ve been with John for almost two years. -Designed to work for students at any level, from beginners to advanced. John is a fine teacher with a real knack for kind but honest critique that shows ways to improve without ever being negative or discouraging. I’m delighted with how my skills and goals have grown in his mentoring class. ”

“I have learned so much from John through his mentoring program. John is extremely patient and kind in his guidance, never criticizing but rather nudging and asking questions as I work through a project.
Working with John, I have gained not only the guidance to complete the current project, but the knowledge and skills to approach future projects with more confidence. As someone with no background in art training, I have found his well-rounded approach invaluable.”

“Hi, I’m Mary, and I create art using colored pencils. I wanted to become comfortable with putting people into my work, and working with not only figures, but also portraits. I just had a mentoring session with John Middick and it was a very unique experience as it was a discussion about my own work. His comments were extremely valuable and will be a great help for me to make progress toward my goals.
This process of mentoring with John is special. You have a great portrait artist sharing advice and providing one-on-one critiques, all done in a very thoughtful and supportive manner. I love how kind and encouraging John is.
Definitely recommend his mentoring services!”

“John isn’t just your teacher, he is your friend and is always there to help with whatever artistic issue you may have.

John covers many topics related to the medium, so you not only learn to draw, but you learn about all the products required to become good at this.

He covers: paper, pencils, sharpeners, tools to get your line drawing onto the paper, and the list goes on and on”